Surge-reliever



` 0.608,344. Patented Aug. 2, |898.

. r. P. NEsmTH.

sunaE n'ELlEvEn. (Appumon maken. 4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

vnl I lconfiningcase or sleeve.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

FREDERICK P. NESMITH, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO MELVILLE W. TREFETHEN AND CHARLES N. TREFETHEN, OF SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE.

SU RGE-RELl-EVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,344, dated August 2, 1898.

Application iled September 4, 1897. Serial No. 650,566. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit knownthat I, FREDERICK P. NEsMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Portland, in the county of Culnberl land and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surge- Relievers; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to' make and use the same. p

My invention relates to improvements in surge-relievers, and especially to that class of surge-relievers which may easily and read-f In the drawings herewith accompanying and forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section showing the arrangement of the movable staple. Fig., 3 is a horizontal section vshowing the manner vof attaching the iixed rods to the head of the coniining-case, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the application of my improved device.

Same letters refer to like parts.

In said drawings, Arepresents a cylindrical Set in one end and held there by means of screws B or similar means is a cap C. Mounted in said cap C in such a manner that it may swivel therein is a hook D, having a shank E set within the'V socket Fin said cap C and held there by means of a nut or other suitable means, as seen at G. The purpose of allowing this hook to swivel will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Within said casing or sleeve A is a spring H, which I preferably make with square surfaces. I use a spring with squaresurfaces, soas to obtain more power, and at the -same time by vWhen there is pressure on the main-sheet, the

using a spring with square surfaces one member of the spring when the spring is tightly compressed cannot ride over its adjacent member. I do not `wish to limit myself to a coil-spring with `iiat surfaces, for a spring composed of round members would do the work nearly as well. Said spring is wound around two rods I, ,which on one end are firmly attached to the cap C in any suitable manner and are provided on the other end"with nuts J. In order to prevent the spring from slipping on the said'rod, I insert between the nuts J and one end of the spring a washer or keeper K. There is also attached to the cylinder, at the opposite end thereof, another cap L, provided with two openings M. Inserted Within said openingsV and adapted to move easily therein :is a staple N, the straight members N of whichextend through said cap into the cylinder and within the coil of the spring nearly to the opposite end of the confiningcase and parallel with the rods I, but in a different plane. On the ends of this staple is placed a keeper or washer O, and in the ends of the said staple are placed nuts P for 4the Hbe inserted therein and kept in position without thedanger of the same being thrown out. The operation ofV my improved device is as follows: The surge-reliever is attachedeither by a ring-bolt or eyebolt to the after part of the vessel, preferably at or near the stern rail. The main-sheet is then led from the traveler through the ring in the end ofthe device and made fast to the bit or cleat.

position ofthe surge-reliever will be the same as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4E. Vhen the pressure on the sheet has been released or has been removed, the position of the surge-reliever would be as shown in Fig. 4 inV solid lines. When it is desired to gibe the vessel,

it will be seen that the surge-reliever will take up some of the slack of the sheet as the boom changes its position from one side to the other. Then when the sail is changed to the other IOO side of the vessel and the strain once more comes upon the sheet, it will be seen that by the compression ofthe spring in the confiningease the jar and sudden shock or strain on the boom and on the bit to which the end of the main-sheet is made fast will be relieved, with the result that there will be no sudde check or jar.

It is quite essential that the hook Q should be kept in sueha position that the tongue R may always be on the upper side thereof, so that the main-sheet or other rigging may be readily inserted therein or removed therefrom. It is for this purpose I make the hook D capable of swiveling, so that whenever the same is attached to a ring or eye bolt or made `tast in any other way to a vessel the said tongue R may be always kept on the upper side of the hook Q.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durable device to relieve the strain upon the rigging and spars of a vessel.

Having thus described my invention and its use, I claiml. In a surge-reliever, in combination, a eoniining-casc, a eompressible spring within said een lining-ease, a hook swiveled in one end et said eonning-ease, a staple with a snap-hook on one end running through said spring and provided with a keeper and suitable nuts on the other end thereof, rods rigidly attached to the other end of said casing and running through said spring, the said rods being provided with a keeper and means for holding said keepers in position, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a surge-reliever, in combination, a confining-case, a coinpressible spring within said confining-ease, caps in the ends of said ease, a hook swiveled in one cap, rods running from said cap within the confining case and through the spring, a staple,with a snap-hook thereon, running through the other cap within the confining-case and through the spring, the free ends of said staple and said rods being provided with keepers and means for holding said keepers against the free ends of the spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereoi` I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this lst day of September, A. D. 1%97.

FREDE UCK l. NICSMI'III.

\Vitnesses:

NATHAN CLIFFORD, HARRY F. Nusnrrn. 

